ADDITION:

Lesson 22: Mistakes of Tarāwīḥ (part 2) Mistake number 20: During Tarāwīḥ imāms recite long portions of the Qur'ān, so naturally the standing position is prolonged. However, some imāms do not prolong the other positions in prayer likewise, hence, a clear disparity emerges between the standing position and the remaining positions of the prayer. This is contrary to the Sunnah. If the standing position is prolonged, the Sunnah is to prolong the other positions of prayer (i.e. bowing, prostration, the standing from bowing, the sitting between the two prostrations), and if the standing position is shortened, the Sunnah is to shorten the other positions of prayer, such that the prayer is proportionate in length and shortness. (*) Al-barā' ibn ’Āzib raḍhiyallāhu ’anhu reported that after observing the Prophet's prayer ﷺ, he found that his standing, bowing, prostration, his sitting between the two prostrations; all of these positions were nearly equal to one another. [Bukhāri & Muslim] Ibnul Qayyim raḥimahullāh explained that the prayer should be proportionate and there should not be an extreme disparity between the standing position and the remaining positions of prayer, which is the case with many of those who have no knowledge of the Sunnah as you will observe during Tarāwīḥ. [Kitāb Aṣ-Ṣalāh] (*) Note: this doesn't mean the remaining positions have to be the exact same length as the standing position. All it means is, there should not be a clear disparity between the various positions in prayer in terms of length. 💡BENEFIT: Some may ask, if the Imām implements the Sunnah and prolongs the different positions in prayer, what do the people praying behind him do when they run out of things to say? Sheikh ’Uthaymīn raḥimahullāh mentioned a beautiful principle, that is: ((ليس في الصلاة سكوت إلا في حال استماع المأموم لقراءة إمامه)) “There is no silence in prayer except when one is listening to the imām’s recitation (i.e. in the audible prayer).” [Majmū’ Fatāwa Ibn ’Uthaymīn (108/15)] This means you should not remain silent when the imām prolongs! Rather: ▪️when the imām prolongs rukū’, you should continue to say: سبحان ربي العظيم or equivalent sayings which have been established in the Sunnah. ▪️when the imām prolongs the standing after rukū’, you should continue to say: ربنا ولك الحمد or equivalent sayings which have been established in the Sunnah. ▪️when the imām prolongs sujūd, you should continue to say: سبحان ربي الأعلى or you should increase in supplication. ▪️when the imām prolongs the sitting between the two sujūds, you should continue to say: رب اغفر لي ▪️when the imām prolongs the tashahhud, you should increase in supplication after completing your tashahhud ▪️If for example you are praying Dhuhr and you complete reciting your chosen sūrah in the first two rak'ahs before the imām, you should recite an additional Sūrah and continue reciting until he goes into rukū'. Likewise in the last two rak’ahs, if you finish reciting Fātiḥah before the imām, you should recite another Sūrah rather than stand in silence.